Charlotte architects try to save historic facade from demolition for…

Digital Realty Trust is demolishing a 100-year-old historic facade in Charlotte to expand its data centre operations, after initially planning to preserve it; the move has triggered local architect opposition and exposes a gap in Charlotte's regulatory protection for non-designated historic buildings. If you're building or buying data centre real estate in growth markets, undesignated historic buildings are now liabilities—Digital Realty flipped from preservation to demolition the moment facade-saving became inconvenient. Expect this pattern to repeat in older downtowns where land is tight and preservation rules are weak.